SunShot Rooftop Challenge Awardees

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Arizona Governor's Office of Energy PolicyCity of Flagstaff, City of Phoenix, City of Tucson, Arizona State University’s Global Institute of Sustainability, and SmartPower

Arizona

2,031,618

$708,992

The Arizona Governor's Office of Energy Policy will identify best practices in finance, permitting, and zoning to move toward voluntary statewide uniformity. The project will drive adoption of an online system in five jurisdictions that allows for over-the-counter/same-day permit review.

Broward County will remove local ordinances that create barriers to solar installations and will educate community associations about their obligations under Florida law. The project will also create a unified online system for permitting and interconnection to reduce costs and wait time.

The CCSE regional team will develop model rules for permitting and interconnection processes that can bring a streamlined approach to21% of California’s population. This project will also create custom implementation plans and jurisdictional mentorship programs.

The PennFuture team will create a model zoning ordinance using the Solar ABCs as a foundation. It will also expand opportunities for project financing through low-interest solar loans, public-private solar investment fund, group purchasing, and community solar options.

City of ChicagoCity of Chicago Department of Environment, Galvin Center for Electricity Innovation at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Environmental Law & Policy Center, and West Monroe Partners

Chicago, Illinois

2,695,598

$750,000

The City of Chicago will create an expedited solar permit process with online applications and applicant education materials that are transferable locally and regionally. The team also aims to implement a formal best practice solar zoning policy and develop solar-ready building standards.

City of San AntonioCities of San Antonio,Houston,Austin; CPS Energy; Build San Antonio Green; and Solar San Antonio

Texas

4,217,249

$313,217

The City of San Antonio will work with policy stakeholders and utilities to advance net metering standards and interconnection provisions. This project will also enable multiple financing options for community solar programs.

City University of New YorkCity University of New York, NYC Department of Buildings, Procemx, CUNY Ventures, IBM, and The Solar Energy Consortium

New York City

8,175,133

$726,199

This university-led team will shorten the city's approval process from one year to 100 days by creating an online multi-agency portal. The team will also create an Intelligence Operations Center to effectively measure the impact of process improvements and policies.

This project will help accelerate rooftop solar PV system installations in Connecticut - the state with the highest electricity prices in the continental U.S. The team will create a standardized online permitting application that synchronizes with the utility interconnection process.

This effort aims to reduce permitting and interconnection costs by 25% through online tools, hands-on support, and quantifiable progress assessments. The team will benchmark its success against established practices and policies.

The Contra Costa Economic Partnership will develop an expedited permitting and interconnection process across a three-county region that can be scaled up and rapidly deployed statewide. The effort will also update state guidelines to encourage all new construction to be solar-ready.

The Geostellar team will completely map the state of West Virginia for solar potential, while also providing a foundation for permitting and zoning policies. More than half of the state’s counties lack building inspection or permitting processes for any type of land use improvement, including solar installations.

SUNSHOT ROOFTOP SOLAR CHALLENGEOP SOLAR CHALLENGE

Awardee Name

Location

Population Estimate

Award Amount

Project Highlights

Massachusetts Department of Energy ResourcesMassachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC); City of Boston, City of Cambridge, Town of Harvard, Town of Hatfield, and Town of Winchester; Solar Energy Business Association of New England (SEBANE); Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS);and Massachusetts Development Financing Agency (MassDevelopment)

Massachusetts

752,929

$566,354

The Massachusetts team will make improvements in five pilot communities to determine replicable best practices. The team will work to improve access to interconnection information and remove financing barriers for homeowners.

The Mid-America Regional Council will implement reformed practices based on past success with similar initiatives. This project will launch new financing options and will clarify third-party power purchase options.

This effort will streamline and standardize solar permitting processes by creating a web portal with toolkits and best practices. The team will also address net metering, power purchase agreements, leasing, structural, and city permitting issues.

Minnesota Department of CommerceMinnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources; City of Minneapolis, Saint Paul; and Fresh Energy

Minnesota

600,000

$263,169

This statewide effort aims to implement policy and process improvements that will make solar installation faster and less expensive. The team will work to modernize 30-year-old net metering and interconnection standards through legislative, regulatory, and administrative actions.

Nevada State Office of EnergyNevada State Office of Energy; University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Truckee Meadow Community College;NV Energy; Southern Nevada Water Authority; Public Utilities Commission; Clark County; and Cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Reno

Nevada

2,176,460

$765,000

The Nevada State Office of Energy will standardize jurisdictional permitting procedures and push for a state-wide model. The project also aims to streamline the interconnection process and reduce solar installation burdens, including a requirement for AC disconnect switches, by working with utilities and jurisdictions.

This regional team will drive market maturity across the Southwest where solar potential is abundant, but municipal resources and industry information are scarce. Efforts will include the development of a centralized online technical resource center and solar project support hotline.

PREAA will create an integrated, web-based information system for permitting and interconnection to increase control and transparency. The team will also propose a Solar Rights Act to avoid ambiguous statutory language that currently discourages solar development or results in litigation.

The Salt Lake City Corporation team will create model permitting tools and processes to implement in six jurisdictions. Among other key milestones, the team will expand and improve a one-stop-shop solar permitting, mapping, and information website.

SolarTechSolarTech Consortium; California Energy Commission; City and County of San Francisco, East Bay Green Corridor (8 cities); Solar Sonoma County (8 cities); Clean Coalition; Local Government Commission; Bay Area Climate Collaborative; PG&E; Alameda Municipal Power; and various installers

California(Bay Area)

2,100,000

$499,899

The Solar Tech Consortium will enable adoption of improved policies and processes by up to seven local governments and utilities through the creation of "Early Adopter" pilot communities and the development of tools and model ordinances.

This university-led initiative will partner with local building officials to implement model permitting, interconnection, and net metering standards. The team will also develop an integrated smartphone/tablet app to guide individuals through the application process.

The Washington State Department of Commerce will create an online permitting system, shorten permitting processing turnaround times, and fix fees through this effort. The team will also work to eliminate the use of external disconnect switches and lift system size and program capacity limits.